The present disclosure relates to bicycle racks that are adaptable for mounting on crossbars on top of a vehicle.
Bicycles are often transported on vehicles. Numerous racks and devices have been devised over the years to secure bicycles to vehicles during transport. A common bicycle carrier utilizes a fork mount mounted to a rack structure. The fork mount has a skewer assembly that clamps the front forks of a bicycle to secure the bicycle to the rack. Typically, fork mount-type carriers include a wheel tray that extends back from the fork mount to support the rear wheel. A securing member may be positioned along the wheel tray that includes a strap configured to secure the rear wheel to the wheel tray. Typically, these straps must be pulled tightly around the rear wheel to hold it securely during normal driving speeds and conditions.
Examples of fork mount-type bicycle carriers, and various types of securing mechanisms are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,748,630; 6,684,667; 6,601,712; 6,561,398; 6,494,351; 6,460,708; 6,431,423; 6,425,509; 6,283,310; 5,749,694; 5,745,959; 5,738,258; 5,598,959; 5,479,836; 5,416,952; 5,265,897; 4,842,148; 3,848,784; 3,828,993, and U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2006/0086766 and 2007/0119887, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
Many fork mount bicycle carriers are designed for attachment to specifically shaped crossbars. However, vehicle rack crossbars now are provided in a wide range of different shapes, sizes, and orientations. Most car companies offer factory crossbars which typically have curved geometries of differing sizes and orientations designed to minimize wind resistance. Most currently available fork mounts do not clamp satisfactorily on factory crossbars. There is a need for fork mount style bicycle racks that are capable of securely fastening directly to factory crossbars on top of a vehicle.